DURHAM — Ryan McKenna may be a sophomore, but he's got the experience of a senior.

Plus, the kid can flat out play.

McKenna almost single-handedly dismantled Oyster River (2-1) on Wednesday in Division II action. He had a hand in all seven of the St. Thomas Aquinas High School baseball team's runs and, for good measure, tossed two innings in relief to earn the save in a 7-3 win.

McKenna went 4 for 4 with five RBIs and three runs scored. He hit a solo home run in the first inning and a towering three-run triple off OR center fielder Connor Grove's glove that blew the game open in the fifth.

This is McKenna's fourth high school varsity baseball season and his first with STA (3-1) after transferring from D-IV Portsmouth Christian Academy. There he was a three-year starter dating back to seventh grade when PCA won the 2010 D-IV state title.

“Transition's been rather easy I guess,” McKenna said. “I've been playing the game for a while, so I kind of just picked it up.”

Yeah, kind of.

“He's a special player,” said STA coach Marc Schoff. “He's a rare player. He can hit to all fields, as you saw today. He has power. Baseball kind of comes easy for him. I'm looking forward to continued production.”

McKenna hit an all-you-can-get home run to right-center in the first, scoring on a close play when the catcher couldn't get a handle on the low relay throw to make it a 1-0 game for STA.

He singled and later scored on Jon Nartiff's ground out in the fourth to put the Saints up 2-0

The big blow came in the fifth with the bases loaded and two out, and OR up, 3-2, after a three-run fourth.

McKenna worked the count to 2-0 against OR lefty Travis Hackett, the Bobcat ace who entered the game for Wade Belanger — who pitched well in his first varsity start — in the fifth to protect the 3-2 lead.

But Hackett was wild, walking three batters, which allowed STA to get to McKenna's spot in the order

McKenna laced the next pitch 390 feet to center field where OR's Grove made a long run to get to the ball, but couldn't quite hold on. Three runs scored and McKenna pulled into third with a triple. He scored from there on a wild pitch to put the Saints up, 6-3.

“I hit it really high,” McKenna said. “I meant to drive it, a line drive. I made solid contact and anytime you do that, you have that much better of a chance to get on base. I saw it well.”

“That kid can fly,” said OR coach Craig Walfield of Grove. “I thought he was going to catch it. But the ball pops out of his glove and three runs score. ... One catch makes all the difference in the world. He makes it and we're out of that inning with no runs.”

McKenna's two-out single in the seventh scored Ryan Bennett (walk) from second base to make it a four-run game.

The Bobcats picked up their three runs in the fourth, trailing 2-0 at the time.

Casey Aubin and Luke Finacchiaro led off with back-to-back singles, and Tim Stringer followed with what looked like a bloop single to right. But Finacchiaro got a bad jump and STA right fielder Bennett fielded the ball and forced him at second.

With runners on first and third, Pieter Zwart drew a walk to load the bases.

Grove grounded into a fielder's choice that scored Aubin for OR's first run. Hackett, batting for Sam Lewis was intentionally walked to load the bases with two outs.

The No. 9 hitter, Tommy O'Brien hit what looked like a routine grounder to short, but it was booted and two runs scored to put the Bobcats up, 3-2.

“I just had to keep throwing strikes and keep making them put the ball into play,” said STA winning pitcher Collin Coppinger, who allowed one earned run in five innings. “The guys will figure it out behind me and they did.”

Coppinger retired OR 1-2-3 in the fifth and then gave way to McKenna who did the same in the sixth.

The seventh was a different story. McKenna (4 Ks) whiffed the first two batters, but then surrendered base hits to Aidan Short (2 for 4) and Andrew Wolcott, and then walked Aubin to load the bases.

Finacchiaro, representing the tying run, was up next and he hit a liner to left that Nartiff made a nice one-handed catch on going back to end the game.

“Lesson learned,” Walfield added. “We move on from here. We've got a very good baseball team here. We're still very young. So we've got some maturing to do.”

Three OR starters were not in the lineup. One was sick and two others sat part of the game because of team rules.

St. Thomas hosts Portsmouth Friday, while OR is at Coe-Brown the same day.